Croatians bring hope to other World Cup teams too

Four years ago the Croatian national team didn't make it to the World Cup in South Africa. This year, luckily, Croatian football lovers don't have to go through that agony again and their focus will be on their team under coach Niko Kovac.

But, if they had to pick a team they would have several choices. Besides Croatia, there are three other teams at this World Cup that have at least one player with Croatian heritage, reports Xinhua.

Almost one third of Australian players are somehow connected to Croatia. Even the captain of the team, 29-year old defensive midfielder Mile Jedinak, is Croatian. He spent one season playing for Croatian club Varteks but didn't leave a huge mark.

Ivan Franjic, 26-year old defenseman, has Croatian parents. Midfielder Dario Vidosic, 27, was born in Osijek town in the eastern part of Croatia where Kovac's team beat Mali in the last preparation game before the team left its homeland.

Defender Mathew Spiranovic has been on the verge of signing for Dinamo Zagreb but that never



happened. Midfielder Oliver Bozanic is not the first in his family who wears Australia's jersey. His father was a Socceroo in the early 1980s.

Third goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic, who also has a Croatian name Josip and will celebrate his 33th birthday on the opening day of this World Cup, has strong Croatian roots. His first club was Chelsea Hajduk.

Mark Bresciano's surname might not sound as Croatian and it isn't. His father is Italian but Mark's mother is Croatian so that makes him fit for the Croatian group in the Australian camp.

There will be a lot of expectations from Croatians in the Swiss camp, too. Those expectations would've been even higher if Ivan Rakitic had not picked Croatia as his team seven years ago.

There are still two Croatians under Swiss coach Ottmar Hitzfeld's command. Two forwards, 24-year old Mario Gavranovic from FC Zurich and 21-year old Josip Drmic from FC Nuernberg, will try to bring some joy to Swiss supporters.

The last team that has a Croatian among 23 players is Bosnia and Herzegovina. Defender Toni Sunjic comes from Mostar, a town on the border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina that was severely damaged during the war in the 1990s when Bosnians and Croatians were on the opposite sides. Now, Sunjic and his Bosnian teammates will try to make their countrymen proud.